Russians Helping Ukraine In Moscow War? 5 Russians Under Investigation For Ties To Far-Right Ukraine Nationalists

Five Russian nationals are under criminal investigation for alleged ties to a far-right Ukrainian nationalist group, RIA Novosti reported Monday.

The Russian Investigative Committee opened cases against Igor Chudinov, Gennady Khamrayev, Georgy Stotsky, Roman Strigunkov and Alexander Valov for alleged ties to the Right Sector, committee spokeswoman Svetlana Petrenko said.

Petrenko said Chudinov was a deputy commander of one of the Right Sector’s divisions, and Khamrayev helped conduct raids against civilians in the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic and Luhansk People’s Republic.

Stocky, Strigunkov and Valov took part in Right Sector rallies, marches and other activities, and were involved in propaganda operations, Petrenko said.

Members of the Right Sector, a paramilitary confederation, clashed with Ukrainian police and seized administrative buildings in Kiev in January and February 2014. The group currently is fighting the protest movement in eastern Ukraine, Rapsi News said.

The Russian Supreme Court declared the Right Sector an extremist group in November 2014 and banned its activities in Russia. Its leader, Dmitry Yarosh, is under investigation for incitement of terrorism. The group was added to Russia’s register of prohibited organizations in January 2015.

Russia, which annexed Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula after Right Sector attacks on Russian speakers and Jews in March 2014, was suspected of instigating the Ukrainian unrest that followed the ouster of Viktor Yanukovych, who has been living in exile in Russia since late 2013. Russia has refused to extradite him to face treason and other charges.

Russia was suspected of arming rebels in eastern Ukraine and there were reports of Russian tanks and personnel in the region.

Russia blamed the Right Sector and Svoboda parties for riots that left more than 100 people dead in February 2014. Protesters waived banners with pictures of World War II nationalist leader and Nazi collaborator Stepan Bandera.

A declassified CIA report indicates Bandera belonged to the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists, which Russia labeled a terrorist organization, and was involved in the assassination of Polish Interior Minister Bronisław Pieracki, Sputnik reported.